The Importance of Photography in Coronavirus Era

Photography is the science and art of taking pictures by recording light by using a camera. It is one of the important subjects that I have taught in the Department of Interior Design at Cihan University – Erbil, where students learn the concept of photography and its types in general, and interior design photography in particular. Students also learn photo-taking techniques and skills in their field of specialization. It also helps them develop their artistic sense. The photography here is also used as a marketing and promotional tool for their design projects and increases the chances of attracting beneficiaries in the profession.

On the other hand, and away from photographing interior design, the photograph plays a prominent role in conveying the truth. It performs a message of what the photographer wants to convey to the viewers, whether this message expresses a positive or negative situation. With the technological revolution, the image has become widely resonated in various fields. We are in these days and in light of the outbreak of the Corona epidemic, people are going to browse social networking sites and the Internet to read reports and view photos transmitted from all parts of the world to understand the latest developments on this dangerous virus.

Photography is divided into several categories, including photojournalism, documentary photography, architectural photography, artistic photography, astronomical photography, nature photography, black and white photography, conceptual photography, abstract photography, people photography, photography of natural phenomena, propaganda photography, aerial photography, sports photography, tourism photography, story photography, commercial photography, and etc. The highlight of this period is medical documentary photography and photojournalism. The first medical picture published about the virus is the shape of the virus itself and what it looks like under medical microscopes. Among the experts, the shape of the virus in the images belongs to the coronavirus family, and this is why it was called Coronavirus more than calling it Covid – 19. After that, many websites of the news started using these pictures on their pages and in their magazines. Besides that, global health organizations began printing brochures and warning advertisements that contain the image of the virus and distribute it to people to take the necessary precautions. Without this image, people would not have understood the shape of the virus.

In addition, photojournalism has played the major role in Corona's time. It is worth a thousand words. It is an integrated text visual form and content. It is an optical text integrated in form and content, easy to take, handle, deeply influencing and acting in the mind and heart of the viewer, as mentioned by Dr. Mahmoud Shaheen in his article published in 2018. The photojournalism has become a tool to present and confirm facts. It also expresses the non-verbal communication. Before the invention of the camera, the media did not rely on the image in publishing news, but the news were just texts printed on newspapers for people to read. Then the television was invented that conveyed the images which in turn conveyed the truth more than the written texts. The viewer was affected in the news because the image was entrenched in the viewer's mind and gave you a great impact on his psyche.